Get a clear spec from your client

One of the biggest problems I have found in business is that the customer's requirements are usually very unspecific.

Although I learnt this soon after I'd started out on my own (six years ago), it remains a problem, and no matter how hard you try to get clear instructions from your clients, more often than not, they can't do it.

I don't believe it is wilful on their part. I believe that they have brought me in to deliver a service and, despite the fact it's their business and I need to know (for an example of creating a website for them) how their business works, what they do, what their logo is, whether they want photographs ... all the rest of it, they want me to "just do it".

Having such an open sepcification may allow for creativity, but it also leaves an awful lot of holes to fill!

It's a journey to get from a blank spec to a website that gives the customer what they want (even though they had no idea what they wanted!).

In truth, life is so much easier when the client knows what they want, but just doesn't know how to do it!